Football Over Under Explained
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Over Under 4.5 Goals. A bet on Over 4.5 goals is a bet on the net being found on 5 or more occasions. Under 4.5 is a bet on 4 or less scored.
Betting on the over/under point total of a game is quite popular when making a sports wager. Bettors tend to really like betting on over/under because they don't really have a rooting issue for one team or the other, but rather offense or defense. It is one of the main ways to make a wager for any given match up and the over/under point's total can be found along with other game lines including the points spread + the moneyline (payout for a straight up win).
Below we talk about the different sports and explain how how to read sports betting odds when it comes to dealing with the over/under total wager option.
How Does The Over/Under Betting Line Work?
When two teams are set to match up, oddsmakers will research both teams, their history, trends, previous meetings and a variety of other factors. After doing all their work an over/under point total will be released for the combined score of the game in questions. From that point, it is on the bettor to decide whether he/she thinks that score (total) will be 'over' or 'under' the oddsmakers' prediction. Simply pick the right side to get paid!
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Now, this can be points in football games, goals in hockey and soccer, runs in baseball... Ok you, get the idea, but you should know the concept of betting over or under comes into play when making team based prop wagers and individual player props. Instead of using points or score as the deciding number, prop-based over/unders will use all sorts of stats from the total number of turnovers in a given period of time, to the total number of rushing yards for a player.
When Can The Over/Under Be Wagered On?
The over/under total for a game is one of the staples over the game lines installed for every matchup. Bettors will have numerous chances to bet on the game total before the game, but even after game gets underway there will be other chances as well.
Game totals are installed with the point spread and moneyline, and typically there is plenty of time to check them out and get a bet in prior to the start of the game. But after the game starts, there can be different over/under totals installed for the game in increments. For example a football game with four quarters can have an over/under point total for each. Bettors could conceivably wagers on a total for every quarter or half in a matchup. That presents plenty of bets that can be made.
Live betting also comes into play. At different points in the game a live wager could reform a game total either higher or lower, with an adjusted payout. This is similar to an in-play betting line as well, with adjusted totals for in-progress matchups.
Betting On The Over/Under Totals For An Individual Team
Another type of over/under total bet is for the two teams involved in the game. This is considered to be a prop bet though and at most online sportsbooks will be in the team props, and not a part of the game lines. Those are reserved for the combined game total. Still, teams will be set with different over/under totals, which will closely relate to the game total on the game line plus the point spread. There are several variables that come into the formation of this betting line.
Understanding Payouts When Betting On The Over / Under
The payouts for an over/under total wager fluctuate but generally stay around even payouts for both sides of the bet. The times when the payout for an over/under will not be equal are usually when:
- One side of the wager is being bet on more than the other, however sportsbook operators will generally adjust the actual total to balance the wager instead of changing the payouts.
- The payouts typically tend to swing more when the total score cannot be changed because the wager is based on a low-scoring sport like NHL, MLB, soccer, etc... When this occurs there can be sizable differences in payout
Example: Over/Under Total Points For Game - Over # Points (-105) / Under # Points (-125)
The numbers inside the parentheses indicate the payout. -105 shows this side of the wager pays $.95 for every $1 wagered versus -125 which pays $.80 for every $1 wagered. This basically shows the percentage paid to the house when the bet is won which is also known as 'juice'. If there are no numbers shown in parentheses both sides pay equally; usually -110.
Examples Of Total Wagers
NFL Over/Under
- Dallas Cowboys vs. NY Giants: 44.5 o/u
Here in this example we have the Cowboys taking on the Giants. Oddsmakers have set the over/under point total for the two teams combined at 44.5 points. There are two options to take on this line. The over total, and the under total. For the over total to win this line, both teams would need to combine for at least 45 points. For the under total, 44 points or less scored and that side of the line wins. Get an explanation of NFL betting odds here.
College Football Over/Under + Total Wagers
- Georgia Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers : 46.5 o/u
This Southeastern Conference showdown between Georgia and Tennessee has been installed with a game total of 46.5 points. This the total total number of points installed for the combined score in the game. The wager is made on the actual total going above or below this mark. For the over to win here, 47 points or more is needed between the Bulldogs and Volunteers. For the under to win, it's 46 points or fewer. Learn how to read college football betting odds here.
NBA Total Wagers + Over/Under Betting Lines
- Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks : 202.5 o/u
Flipping the total to be accurate for betting on NBA lines, the mark for this over/under total example has been set at 202.5 points. This is the combined point total for both teams in the matchup. The wager is made on the actual total from the game going over or under the installed line. Here, 203 points or more is needed for the over to win. On the flip side, 202 points or fewer and the under wins. There is no chance for a push with the half point in play.
Bovada Sportsbook - Best Sports Betting Site For Betting On The Over / Under
This is where Bovada shows its cards as the best site for many players to choose from. The Over/Under here on this site are clearly the best ones out there for players to pick. The scores are so close that when players do a little research, it is very easy to pick either the over or the under to bet on Bovada.
With different games and high scoring games in different sports, the over/under on Bovada is based on the success of the teams earlier in the season. This means that this over/under can change often so placing over/under bets on Bovada can be the most profitable especially when it comes to parlaying bets!
SportsBetting's Sportsbook - Lots Of Betting Odds When Betting The Over / Under
Here is where betting odds on the over/under are just in favor of all players with an account with SportsBetting. This sportsbook is here for the players so that means that the odds that you will find are there for players to want to wager on. The better the over/under is, the more players will continue to sign up for Sportsbetting.ag accounts.
When you have an Over/Under set so high with two teams known for high scoring offenses, this means this that betting over could be very easy to do. In fact, when knowing that two teams like the Baltimore Ravens and The Kansas City Chiefs who are known for their high-powered offenses play each other, there is no doubt that the game will explode with points and SportsBetting has the Over/Under set up for players to win.
BetOnline Sportsbook - Best Sportsbook Bonuses And Promotions
BetOnline is just the site that has the best over/under totals and there is no doubt about it. These totals are favored for players to profit when picking these bets at the right time. Picking the Over/Under on a lot of games can be challenging if players don’t do any extra research on these teams. Here on BetOnline from past results, there are plenty players that cash big betting on the Over/Under total.
When it comes to creating the over/under total, these points are based on how a team has recently played and also the availability of the the best players on their team. The reason that you will get the best Over/Under total from Betonline is because as soon as any news comes out regarding a team, the Over/Under total is updated. Accuracy of the total is very much to winning huge and BetOnline makes sure to be as accurate as possible.
MyBookie Sportsbook - Players Often Play Over/Under Bets On MyBookie
There is no reason for players to not want to bet on the Over/Under totals here on MyBookie. The totals are always set up based on the teams that are playing no matter if one team is a lot better than the other. This means that even if a team is very good at scoring and the other one isn’t, there is a good chance this Over/Under will be based on the high scoring team.
The way that this is great for MyBookie player is very simple. This Over/Under total could really be affected when teams are going back and forth. The points scored can really increase if Team A , who is not known for scoring a lot, is trying to stick around and possibly pull off the upset. Paying close attention to both teams is important when placing Over/Under bets and once you have done your research, cashing on MyBookie shouldn’t be an issue at all!
The over/under bet – along with the spread and moneyline – is one of three basic wagers you can make. It’s a single bet based on picking between one of two outcomes in one game. Each of the three wager types are winnable in the long run.
The concept here is simple. By placing this bet, you are trying to project the total number of points that will be scored in a given game or match. Typically, you will see the implied total listed alongside the point spread and moneyline when you take a look at a game listed on the schedule.
Totals bets are usually listed alongside point spread and moneyline bets.
We can use Super Bowl LI as an example. The over/under for the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons is listed at 59.5. This is exceptionally high for an NFL game – it’s the highest projection in the history of the Super Bowl – but it means you can place a bet on whether the two teams will combine to score more or less than 59.5 points in the game.
So, if the final score is 34-31, for example, those that took the over will win the bet. If the game ends 24-17, the under is the winner. It is quite simple.
Patriots vs. Falcons at Bovada.
In addition to the total points the teams will combine to score, you can also bet on an individual team’s implied total. Let’s say the Falcons are expected to score 27.5 points. The same rules apply here. If you think they will score at least 28, then hit the over. And vice versa.
Football
Obviously, the value of the implied total changes depending on the sport. If a football game is expected to be a defensive struggle, the over/under will be substantially lower than the one we used in our example above. Typically, a football game that is expected to be fairly low scoring will carry an over/under in the low-to-mid 40s.
Over/under betting does not simply end with team totals, however. You may also be interested in placing prop bets regarding individual player statistics.
You can bet on just about everything when it comes to the Super Bowl, of course. Prop bets are what make the game even more entertaining than it would normally be. If you think Tom Brady is a lock to surpass 300 passing yards in a given game, you can hammer the over on that and (hopefully) collect a little extra cash.
You can bet on the number of touchdowns, touchdown passes, interceptions, rushing yards, receiving yards and just about anything else you can think of. There are several sources of statistics for football such as Pro Football Reference, ESPN and NFL.com.
Basketball
Basketball is the sport that obviously brings the most scoring. Most NBA teams average over 100 points per game, so most implied totals stretch well into the 200s.
For example, a game in mid-January between the high-powered Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets had a whopping over/under of 237.5. This is certainly on the high end. A standard high-scoring basketball game would likely see an implied total closer to 220 points.
Games between high-scoring teams like Warriors vs. Rockets tend to have high totals.
As is the case with football, you can bet on player statistics in basketball, as well. Will Stephen Curry hit at least 5.5 three-pointers in a game? Will James Harden score over or under 30.5 points? Will Rudy Gobert block more or less than 2.5 shots?
Baseball, Hockey and Soccer
Unlike football or basketball, there is not nearly as much scoring in baseball, soccer or hockey. This will be the exception in certain games, but more often than not scoring in these three sports tends to be fairly sparse.
Of these three, baseball tends to see the most scoring. Much of the expected scoring in baseball is dependent upon where a game is played. If a game is set to take place at a friendly environment for hitters such as Coors Field in Denver or Globe Life Park in Texas, it is not uncommon to see an implied total reaching into double figures.
Coors Field is MLB’s most hitter-friendly park.
Most baseball games tend to hover around six or seven runs in a standard game in a ballpark that may not be particularly favorable to hitters.
The props exist for baseball players, too. Will Clayton Kershaw strike out more or less than 8.5 players while he’s on the mound? Will Giancarlo Stanton slug over or under 0.5 home runs tonight? The statistical categories are not as wide-ranging as they may be in football or basketball, but you can still get in on that fun here.
Most hockey lines tend to sit in the 5.5 goal range. The NHL has made several rule changes in an attempt to boost scoring throughout the past two decades, failing to increase scoring totals (in fact, there’s been a constant decrease). It is difficult to put the puck in the net, so even the worst defensive teams will typically still be in that 5.5 range.
In most professional soccer leagues, teams score an average of at least two goals per game (the highest league averages are over four goals per game). though that certainly changes based on which teams are involved. A game involving a high-powered team such as Barcelona against a far lesser foe could see an over/under as high as 5.5. If the match is pitting two stingy defenses against one another, though, that over/under can go as low as 1.5.
Will Lionel Messi score more or less than 0.5 goals? Will he dish out more or less than 0.5 assists? Will David De Gea make at least 3.5 saves over the course of the 90-minute game?
As is the case when gambling on any sport, doing research in an attempt to familiarize yourself with the game itself is crucial to success.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the over/under ever change leading up to game time?
It is not at all uncommon for the bet to change leading up to a game, just as a spread or moneyline will. Bookmakers pay close attention to trends and other factors that may impact the way a game turns out. For example, totals for Super Bowl LI was initially set at 57.5 before jumping up to 59.5.
Paying close attention to injuries, weather conditions and other factors that may affect the way a game is played is highly recommended.
How do I know which teams are more likely to go over or under?
Records of every team’s performance regarding overs and unders are kept all over the place. All you have to do is a quick Internet search to find out how any team typically fares against the implied total line.
If you are betting on football, checking the way a quarterback has fared historically may be a good indicator of future success. If Tom Brady is 18-9 to the OVER, then taking New England on the over, especially in a favorable matchup, would seem to be the wise play.
As you would expect, inclement weather can play a big part in affecting scoring on sports played outdoors. Throwing and catching a football is difficult already, but it becomes quite a bit more challenging when the players are having to fight through snowy conditions or a pouring rainstorm.
Are there any differences between college games and the pros?
When you look at the total bets for the NFL and then for college football you’ll notice they are quite different. More often than not, the NCAA football games are listed with high point totals, while professional games tend to be lower. (See scoring stats for college vs. the pros.)
Football Over Under Explained Eyes
Often NCAA football games feature teams that are mismatched and one club will run up the score. Scores often escalate in college football in order for a team to show its superiority and gain a higher national ranking. In the NFL, it tends to be tougher to drive up point totals because teams are more evenly matched and also it doesn’t matter how much a team wins by because a win in the pros is simply a win whether it’s by one or 30 points.
Is this a good bet?
If you do your homework and can make a reasonable determination on a given game, the answer is yes. You’ll find totals bet opportunities in every sport where teams can score an unlimited amount of points. Don’t feel compelled to bet on every opportunity. Pick and choose the games that seem to offer the clearest choice.